Wysoka (Wysokie Skałki)

Wysoka, also known as Wysokie Skałki, is the highest peak of the Pieniny Mountains, rising to 1050 m above sea level. It lies in the Little Pieniny range, on the Polish-Slovak border, outside the Pieniny National Park, so access to the summit is free. It is part of the Crown of Polish Mountains. The characteristic conical summit is built of red crinoid limestones and protrudes above the spruce forest. Metal stairs lead to the top, where a viewing platform with railings protects against a steep, even twenty-metre precipice on the Slovak side. The panorama includes the Tatra Mountains, Babia Góra, the Radziejowa Range, Magura Spiska, the Levoča Mountains and the Three Crowns. Nearby, the Wysokie Skałki Nature Reserve was established in 1961 to protect the only fragment of upper montane spruce forest in the Pieniny, occurring here at an unusually low altitude. The most popular trail starts in Jaworki and goes through the picturesque Homole Gorge, where the Kamionka stream has carved narrow passages in reddish rocks. The route is 3.6 km long and takes about 2 hours one way; the first 1.2 km is the gorge with bridges and footbridges, then the trail reaches Dubantowska Glade with the Stone Books and rest areas. The last 15–20 minutes is a steep climb up stairs, requiring good fitness and hiking boots. Longer trails from Szczawnica via Durbaszka or from the Slovak Korbalowa Pass are also possible. Jaworki is reached from Krościenko via Szczawnica and Szlachtowa; minibuses run from Szczawnica. Paid parking lots are located at the gorge entrance on Pod Homolami Street (15–25 PLN/day, 2025 prices), the nearest about 200 m from the trail.